Mother on mission after cancer claimed her 10-year-old son

Kathy Liu could not stop sobbing as she spoke to an audience of more than 400 at the "Shine4Love" fundraiser on Sunday.

Organizers at the event in Cupertino, California, sought to raise public awareness of pediatric kidney cancer and to collect donations to support relevant research.

Liu, of San Diego, told how pediatric renal cell carcinoma, an aggressive cancer rare in children younger than 15, took her 10-year-old son Joey five years ago.

She explained how her family managed to work out its deep grief and start advocating for more scholarly study and clinical trials on pediatric kidney cancer.

March 20, 2013, was a day full of darkness. On that day, Joey was diagnosed with a rare Stage 4 translocation renal cell carcinoma.

"Upon his diagnosis, the disease had already spread to his abdomen, chest and neck," said Liu, adding that her son had undergone two major surgeries, four different oral chemotherapies, one IV chemotherapy and a trial with an immunotherapy drug, without positive responses.

Despite the family's dire quest for a successful treatment, on Nov 24, 2014, Joey slipped into a coma and died two days later.

"My heart was broken to pieces," Liu recalled. The loss of Joey, a talented and resilient boy whom friends and teachers would describe as "funny, caring and gentle", was tremendous.

Liu, however, would not allow herself to be consumed with sorrow.

"Joey is not with us anymore, but the fight is not over," she said.

Shortly after Joey's death, the family established a non-profit organization, Joey's Wings, to provide support, advocacy and education for parents and to finance research into kidney cancers that afflict children and young adults.

"Not many people understand the piercing truth about childhood cancer," Liu said. In the United States, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer every day. The fatality rate is 20 percent.

In 2014, it was estimated that nearly 16,000 children and adolescents ranging from infants to 19 years old were diagnosed with cancer, and about 2,000 died of the disease in the United States.

Only 4 percent or less of the US government's funding for cancer research is dedicated to childhood cancers each year.

Liu and her foundation embarked on a journey to lobby for a law that would require pharmaceutical companies to also produce medications for minors when developing new drugs for adult cancer patients.

"We had seven legislative meetings with five California representatives and two senators," Liu wrote in one of her journals recording many of her 2017 Capitol Hill trips. "We asked our legislators for funding for pediatric cancer research (and) to enhance the quality of life for survivors, and the #Race4Children, which opens up vast new opportunities for pediatric cancer drug development."

On Aug 8, 2017, President Donald Trump signed into law the RACE (Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity) for Children Act, which requires companies developing cancer drugs for adults to develop them for children with cancer as well.

Through grassroots coalitions and nationwide awareness campaigns, Liu's foundation was able to donate $50,000 to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Kidney Cancer program for research on translocation renal cell carcinoma.

"The resilience of Joey and the unconditional love of his mom, I believe, touch many people's hearts," said Luo Ping, organizer of the fundraiser. "Together, we can make a difference for the right cause, such as children cancer research and treatment."